Against All Odds
by xwolfiegirl
Summary: Alyssa Swan grew up listening to the Quileute legends and had a hard time believing that they weren't true with a certain group of boys on the Rez acting the way they do since the Cullen's moved to town. She always managed to steer clear both groups, but once Bella comes to live in Forks, her cousin pulls her head first into the world she always knew existed. Imprint story.
1. Prelude

_**Okay, so before we start you should all be aware of a few things.**_

_**1) I have changed the timeline and some of the ages to my liking. Like the fact that the wolves change a **_**YEAR**_** after the Cullen's show up because why would it take so long if they are supposed to protect their tribe from the Cold Ones their genes wouldn't just sit there and be like, so what if Vamps have been here for a year, let's just not do anything until a 'bad' vampire shows up. In my mind it would only take a few months for all of them to phase since their **_**mortal enemy**_** is in town. And they wolves will all be over the age of sixteen and Brady and Collin won't phase at all. I think a pack of eight seems like plenty. Again, the last few phased only after the big baddies came or were getting closer.**_

** _2) I'm going to do my own take on imprinting, the wolves –neither was given much of a background which sucks because it could have been a damn good story- and turn the vampires into more than walking pieces of marble that sparkle in the sun. They're going to have fangs and sleep. I'll explain later how their able to walk in the sun. ;)_**

_**3) Just so we're clear, this is not a story for Bella/the Cullen's fans. Just because my main character isn't Bella doesn't mean that she likes Eddie what so ever or any of the Cullen's for that matter. I'm going to write the way that I saw the relationship between Bella and Edward and hopefully in the next story as well as Bella and Jacob**._

**_4) I'm not having the 'emotionally retarded' Charlie Swan who apparently, being a cop allows his daughter(s) to do any and everything she/they wants. He's going to actually be a father in this story, laying down laws, actually being a part of his daughter(s) lives and not letting Bella bulldoze over him because -in this story at least- _she_ chose not to have a relationship with him so he won't feel any guilt and feel that he needs be so flexible with her. That's not going to fly for me and seeing as it's FF, I can do what I please._**

**_5) This _is_ my first _Twilight _Fanfiction as well as any other so I would greatly appreciate any kind of feed back that you may have. :)_**

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**Prelude  
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As he listened to his doctor deliver his fate, Kenneth Swan couldn't help the sigh that burst from his lips as he watched his eight month old daughter play happily on the floor with her stuffed animals, giggling as she did so. Turning his attention back to the phone conversation that he was having he couldn't help but wonder why it was him that had been given his cards in life. In the space of two years his wife had died, he'd been told that he had stage IV cancer and now he was being informed that he had an expiration date only a few months away. After thinking the man who had been nothing but nice he hung up the phone and one quick glance at his daughter steeled his determination that he was going to fight like hell to stay alive so that he could have as much time with her as possible.

Scooping the blonde child in his arms he could only smile when she squealed loudly and a smile broke across her face, her dimples popping out adorably as she babbled to her father with serious violet eyes. Alyssa Michelle Swan was without a doubt her mother's child with her blonde hair, deep blue eyes and pouted lips and she had her father's dimples, eyes and chin but the rest was all her mother. Her father knew that when she grew up she was going to be, without a doubt, a beautiful young woman who would have to beat of boys with a stick. The subtle reminder that he wouldn't be there to do it made his eyes misty and he quickly pushed that thought from his mind as he carried her into the small two bedroom house and out of the blazing Georgia day.

_ Two Months Later_

Signing the piece of paper in front of him with an unsteady hand and even weaker arm, Kenneth let out a sigh of contentment at the fact that everything that he needed to have done before he was taken from the world was complete. All of the money that he'd saved from his career as one of the best lawyers in Atlanta was now safely tucked away in a trust fund that Alyssa would be allowed to touch when she was eighteen. He transferred all of his property, the house that they lived in as well as a slightly larger one in Forks, his car a new Toyota Camry and a few family heirlooms that had been in the family for over two hundred years. The only thing he had left to do was call his relatives to see if any of them would be willing to take her in when he wouldn't be able to care for her so that she didn't end up in a foster home or orphanage.

When he called his younger brother after being turned down by his cousins and sister, who all had children of their own, he was surprised that before he could really form the question the chief police of Forks agreed. They planned for the younger man to fly down the following month so that he could get to know the girl and so that Ken could say his good-byes and then they were going to drive back in Ken's car. The father could easily see that Charlie missed having a child in his life and that a few months in the summer with Bella wasn't enough, he almost seemed to need someone to look after so that he could keep himself grounded. Alyssa and Charlie would both need the other in their life and knowing the kind of man and father his brother was, there was really no one else that he would have be the guardian of his pride and joy.

Laying in the bed that he'd spent the previous two weeks in Kenneth smiled widely as his daughter patted his cheeks with both hands before pressing an open mouthed kiss to his cheek before giggling again. There was no denying that his little girl was a happy baby and could make even a dying man fight with all of his limited strength just to spend a few more hours in her bubbly presence. Which is exactly what he'd done and would do until she and his brother walked out the door and drove away, then he planned to let go so that he could watch her as she grew up and then old while he sat side by side with her mother.

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**_The next chapter will be the first 'actual' chapter of the story and starts with Bella arriving in Forks._**


	2. Welcome to Forks

**Okay, before we start I feel I must remind you of a few things. 1) ****Since a lot of the background story has changed, certain things never happened which means that people's relationships and personalities _will_ be different than in the books, that's just the way it works. 2) Also, since Alyssa's birth father was one of, if not, _the _most successful lawyer's in Atlanta, he had bank loads of money and had set up two different accounts, one that Alyssa will inherit when she's 18, the other for Charlie so that he can provide fo her a little better. So they are a little better off than some/most people in town.**

**I feel I must remind you that I am without an editor so mistakes, even if proofread, are bound to happen.**

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**Chapter One:  
****Welcome to Forks**

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Standing at the sink as she washed the dishes from last few days the blonde let out a sigh and glanced out the window over the sink watching as the snow and rain mixed as it fell from the sky, insuring that there would be no fluffy white blanket on the ground. The television was on in the living room and she could hear the announcers bickering back and forth about a certain wrestler that had just won a match and Alyssa couldn't help but smile. Two years ago she'd ended up stumbling upon the Monday night program and had instantly become addicted and when Charlie had wandered in he had been just as hooked as she was and they spent every Monday from eight to eleven in front of the television watching grown men and woman beating each other.

Grabbing the rag from the stove handle she set to work drying the few dishes as she listened to the commentary from the television, smiling as a corny joke was made before the sound of commercials filled the air. After putting the dishes away the blonde grabbed a beer and soda from the fridge before heading to the living room, handing Charlie his drink, and making herself comfortable in her spot on the couch, wrapping the faded blue afghan around her as she settled in to watch the rest of the show. Glancing at her father from the corner of her eye she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't nearly as into it as he usually was and let out a soft sigh as she wrapped the blanket around herself, knowing that he was nervous about the next day.

It had been a month since Bella called and asked if she could live with him until graduation if not longer and while he'd readily agreed more than eager for any kind of relationship with the seventeen year old, Alyssa could see that he was anxious about it. During one of their summers together Bella had told him that she didn't want to meet him for summers any more before she slowly stopped having any contact with him what so ever. The blonde could see how much it was that it hurt the man that she considered to be a father to her but couldn't really do anything about it other than to try to cheer him up the best way that she could and he eventually dealt with the abandonment.

"You're awfully quite." The older man commented as he glanced over at the teenage girl.

"Just thinking." She smiled before letting lose a surprisingly large yawn, "And a little tired." She laughed.

"You can head up to bed. I'll watch the rest and tell you if anything good happens tomorrow."

"Mm, that does sound good, night dad."

"Night Aly." He grunted as he took a swig of his drink before sliding farther down in his seat.

Reaching her room she quietly pushed the door open and glanced around the room with a small frown as she looked toward the window where through the spotlight in the backyard she could see that the snow had stopped and all that was falling was rain. Letting out a sigh the blonde climbed onto her full sized bed, flicking the lamp on the left side of the bed, the side she slept on every night, she picked up the book she'd been in the slow process of reading. Biting her lip she opened up to where she'd placed her bookmark but didn't make it past the first sentence before falling asleep, a nightmare of fangs dripping with blood and large wolves chasing after her taking over her usually peaceful sleep.

When she woke up the next morning she didn't feel any more rested than she had when she'd gone to bed the previous night, having woken up more than a few times clutching at her sheets as she gasped and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Glancing at the small alarm clock to her right she let out a breath when she realized that she could have slept for another but quickly decided against it as she slid on her fuzzy turquoise house shoes before she padded her way down the small hall. A glance at the wall to her right let her know that Charlie was still sleeping with his door firmly shut and she let out a sigh before quietly padding down the stairs, expertly skipping the one that squeaked, and into the kitchen to start a cup of coffee.

Feeling her body being shaken gently and a husky voice telling her that she needed to wake up the blonde felt herself sit upright in her chair, the sudden movement making the wooden piece of furniture nearly fall backwards. Glancing up at a clearly amused Charlie she frowned before looking around her, realizing that she'd clearly fallen asleep while she waited for the coffee to brew and let out a sigh before glancing at the time. While she'd slept for an hour in the uncomfortable chair, it had been nightmare free and she felt more rested than she had been when she'd woken up as she grabbed a mug from the cabinet next to the sink and poured the still steaming dark liquid into her cup.

"What time did you get up?" Her father asked as he poured himself a cup as she added enough hazelnut creamer to her own that it went from black to a light tan.

"About six of so. Kept having nightmares so I decided to come down here and make coffee to just stay up but apparently that didn't work." She shrugged before moving back to her seat as she took a small testing sip from her mug.

"Are you sure you're up for today?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her as he looked her over, clearly trying to decide whether or not she looked like she would be a walking zombie.

"Yeah, of course, I mean I could always just sleep in the car on the way to Port A if it comes down to it." She frowned, while the passenger seats of either the cruiser or her Saturn S-Series weren't the most comfortable places to sleep, they weren't the worst and she'd done it plenty of times before.

"Okay, fair enough."

"Speaking of our mini road trip." She beamed suddenly as she looked at the Chief of Police with a large smile, "Don't think that I've forgotten that you agreed to take my car."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Here," He said reaching for his wallet and handing her a crisp twenty dollar bill, "Fill up the tank after you get out of school so that we can just meet here and head straight to the airport."

"Sure, well, I'm going to get ready for school. If I don't see you by the time that I head out-"

"We both know you won't."

"-then have a good day and be careful." She smiled, ignoring his statement that they both knew was true, as she stood to put her now empty cup in the sink before making her way upstairs to get ready.

Stepping into the Jack and Jill bathroom that connected her room to what would be Bella's at the end of the day the blonde let out a small breath before locking the door that connected to Bella's room. After turning on the water so that it would heat up to her preferred temperature of a little cooler than scalding she turned back to her room and stood in front of her closet, frowning as she glanced outside. Grabbing a pair of black skinny jeans and her three quarter sleeve light blue shirt, she glanced back outside before grabbing an off white camisole, deciding that if the weather was warmer or cooler than she thought she'd be good either way. Making her way back to the bathroom she quickly realized that she would have to do some organizing since her things were spread across the counter haphazardly, she made a mental note to do it when she got home as she stripped out of her pajamas.

Standing under the hot spray she let out a small sigh as the water hit the muscles that she hadn't realized had been tense and probably would be until Bella settled in and they came up with a routine for the household. Grabbing her Amber Romance by Victoria Secret body was she quickly scrubbed her body with her loofa, wondering if the new addition to the household would be up for stopping at the mall on their way back from Port A. After a quick look around the shower she realized that she not only needed body wash but that her shampoo and conditioner were running dangerously low and if she didn't stop to get some over the weekend she would end up having to borrow Charlie's generic two in one.

Biting her lip as she unlocked the door to Bella's room she felt a frown pull at her lips as she wondered if the routine that she and Charlie had fallen into would be disrupted with the arrival of his oldest and biological daughter. Shaking her head she tightened the towel around her before turning to wipe the steam off the mirror so that she could get ready for what she knew was going to be a long day. After she was dressed, her hair was dry and her usual mascara and lip gloss had been applied she studied herself in the mirror with the same critical eye that she always did when something large was about to happen in her life.

Her golden blonde layered hair fell just below her bra strap and was soft to the touch and held a nice shine which matched perfectly with her grey-blue eyes and framed her oval shaped face and somehow seemed to accent her neck. Smiling at herself, her two finger-tip deep dimples stood out as she showed a set of perfect white teeth before turning her attention to her body which she'd been told many times her friends were jealous of. At five foot five she had to admit that her body was in really good shape thanks to her nightly runs, her small shoulders and flat toned stomach made, in her opinion, her breast seem slightly too big for her body. Her long, toned legs made her look taller than she was which she didn't mind since nobody teased her from a distance until they were right next to her to see that she wasn't as tall as she looked like she was from a distance.

After slipping into her tan classic short Uggs she grabbed her keys, the plain white beach tote she used in place of a backpack and purse before walking towards the door only to stop and grab her simple black coat before making her way toward her call. Tossing her bags into the passenger seat of the 1999 shiny silver Pontiac Grand AM that Charlie had gotten her for her birthday with a small frown she realized that most of her free time at school would be spent answering questions about her adoptive sister that she didn't know. Deciding to answer whatever question she was asked with an 'I don't know her' she nodded to herself before backing out of the two car driveway.

By the time that she got home Alyssa knew that her eyes were no longer their usual grey-blue but a steely grey that told the ones that she knew that she was not in a good mood and was more than ready to let someone know how she felt about them. Sitting in her car in the drive way she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself before she went into the house which she achieved almost ten minutes later. Stepping out of the car she caught sight of her dad peeking out the window at her and gave him a smile before grabbing her bags and making her way into the house, thankful that she'd been given the day off from waiting tables.

"How was school?" He asked as she dropped her bags by the door and kicked off her shoes.

"Long and annoying, if one more person asked me about Bella I was going to flip. Thankfully Nicole and Brianna were there." She smiled, thinking of how her best friends had instantly become bodyguards if they so much as thought that someone was going to ask her about her cousin slash sister.

"They're pretty good girls." He nodded before turning to her with a smile, "How do you feel about dinner at Kelly's?" He asked laughing when she widened her eyes and a beaming smile overtook her features.

"That sounds great! We haven't been there in forever." She sighed sitting down at the table across from him.

"Figured I'd give us a break from cooking plus I'm pretty sure all that's left in the freezer are those frozen meals." He chuckled.

Shaking her head she stood up and looked inside the freezer to find that he was right, with an eye roll she grabbed the magnetic notepad from the fridge and quickly jotted down the ingredients for the meals she had in mind. Looking down at her loopy handwriting she bit her lip and wondered whether or not Bella had allergies to what she'd written down or if she just wouldn't like it. After a mental debate she decided that she'd have the older girl ride with her to the store to see if there was anything specific that she liked or wanted cooked as she placed her list back on the fridge.

"I'm going to clean up my bathroom so that Bella will have a place to put her things."

"You know what?" Charlie asked after a few minutes, his voice soft.

"Huh?" She asked turning to him with a small frown from the doorway of the kitchen.

"You're a really good kid. I'm glad Ken chose me."

Blinking back the tears at the mention of her birth father and the sentimental statement she quickly walked over to where he was sitting and wrapped her arms around him, "I'm glad that _you_ chose me because you didn't have to but you did without hesitation. I love you dad." She said, placing a quick kiss on his scruffy cheek before giving him a squeeze and heading up the stairs to organize the bathroom.

Walking into the bathroom she stood in the door way for a few minutes taking in the space that used to be hers and hers alone. On the wall with the short hallway on the other side were the his-and-hers sinks where she had tossed things down that morning and had resulted in an even larger mess than usual. After putting her things away neatly in the drawer and cabinet under the sink nearest to her room she turned her attention back to the counter as she organized the things that she used on a daily basis around the sink. Turning toward the shower she smiled at the turquoise fabric curtain that she'd bought with a matching fabric bath and toilet mat, looking at the different bottle scattered around the ledge and on the window sill she quickly gathered them and placed them in the silver shower caddy. Satisfied by the way it looked she didn't even bother to open the door closest to her room that held the room where the toilet was hidden knowing that it was pristine as usual since she usually used the one downstairs where she spent most of her time.

"Ready to go?" She asked as she jogged down the stairs, skidding to a halt when she reached the bottom.

"Yeah, kiddo." He nodded handing her, her jacket with a smile.

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They made it to Port Angeles a few minutes after Bella's plane had arrived and when they started to apologize she quickly explained that her plane had arrived early because one of her layover's had been cut short. The three quickly grabbed her bags and stuffed them into the trunk of Alyssa's car, the brunette questioning what happened to the cruiser, laughing when Charlie explained that the blonde would not allow him to drive it. When the police chief was in the bathroom at the small diner that they had stopped at for dinner Bella had thanked her cousin, telling her that she would have been mortified to have to ride in a police cruiser for an hour on the way home.

As they pulled into the two car driveway Bella looked up at the two story off white paneled house with a surprised look, "What happened to the old house?" She asked turning towards her father with a small frown.

"Sold it when Aly turned two, she loved to play outside and the backyard was too small, this one's pretty decent sized and big enough that we can feel close but still have space to ourselves."

The roar of an engine grabbed the small family's attention as they turned to look down the road at the large rusted orange truck that was slowly making its way down the street toward them before pulling to a stop by the curb next to the driveway. Bella silently watched as a tall gangly Native American teenage boy stepped out with a bright smile before quickly hurrying around the side, grabbing something from the bed of the truck before appearing again pushing an older man in a wheelchair toward them. Realizing that they both looked familiar she quickly searched through old memories of when she'd been a kid, the only time that she'd ever spent in Forks before she realized that she knew both males.

"Billy?" She asked softly, watching as the man in the chairs face break into a smile.

"Yeah, welcome back to Forks." He chuckled, "I'm sure you remember Jacob." He smirked at his son who was looking down at his feet, his long black hair covering his face.

"If you mean getting mud pies thrown in my face when I was four, yes." She laughed, "How've you been Jake?"

"Good. You?"

"Pretty good."

"So, Bells, what do you think?" Charlie asked from where he'd walked over to the truck with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Think you can be seen in this? Or do you want to ride everywhere in the passenger seat of the cruiser or Alyssa's car?"

"I…I can't afford that."

"Don't need too. Consider it your homecoming present."

"And a way not to bother us when you need a ride." Alyssa teased before rolling her eyes as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket.

Watching as the stunning blonde quickly typed a response her expression turning to annoyance Bella briefly wondered what it was about before turning her attention back to her father, "Honestly? It's awesome." She smiled before adding, "It seems Bella-proof too."

After a few more minutes of conversation with the son and father duo she announced that she was getting a little tired and followed behind the blonde who had picked up a bag and told the brunette that she'd give her the tour. They stopped briefly at the door where her adoptive sister bent and grabbed something under the mat before handing a key to Bella as she pushed open the door and led her into the house. She stopped again to kick out of her boots and slide her feet into a pair of slippers before leading the way up the stairs, saying that they'd work from top to bottom with the first stop being what was now Bella's room.

"So, this is your room, that's the closet…I think we got all of the random crap out, if not just pile it up beside your door. That's the bathroom; it connects our rooms so if you're in the shower, just lock both doors. If not, the toilet's in its own little room with a door and lock. The door closest to you room is the towel closet and the one closest to mine is the toilet."

Leading her through the bathroom to a room where the main color theme was turquoise and brown the blonde let Bella know that if her door was open she was free to be bothered but if it wasn't it was best to steer clear. After a pointing at a few more doors that she referred to as the linen closet and Charlie's room the blonde quickly moved down the stairs, which Bella noticed was lined with pictures of both Alyssa and Charlie as the blonde grew up. Standing at the foot of the stairs the blonde pointed down the hallway and told her which doors belonged to the bathroom and which belonged to the bathroom before turning into the kitchen slash dining room that was separated by a small breakfast bar that reached halfway across the room.

"And the living room's obviously on the other side of the stairs. Oh which reminds me, see that little hallway?" Alyssa asked as she poured herself a glass of juice, continuing at Bella's nod, "It connects to the living room and the doors out to the deck are in there too."

"Oh, okay…I think I'm going to go unpack and get settled in."

"Sure." The blonde nodded as she picked up her drink and headed to the living room.

Curious Bella stuck her head in the room and was surprised to see that the couches and recliner were all made from the same microfiber material and looked more than comfortable. As she walked up the stairs to her room she couldn't help but mentally slap herself for all of the assumptions that she'd made of Charlie and Alyssa without knowing them or how they lived. She had thought that she was going to have to jump from taking care of one parent to taking care of another but had clearly been wrong and was a little thrown off by the fact that Alyssa and Charlie took care of each other equally.

Letting out a breath she turned her attention to putting her clothes up, still wonder what it was that she was going to do now that she had arrived in Forks and the role she'd thought she was going to have to take on wasn't needed. It clearly wasn't which left her feeling completely out of her element as she realized that while she lived in Forks she wouldn't have to be the care giver and could simply be the teenager and kid she'd never gotten to be with her mother. With that realization she felt the weight she'd been carrying for as long as she could remember and sudden felt light both mentally and physically and wanted to rush down the stairs and hug her father and sister for making her feel that way. Pushing the urge down, knowing that they would more than likely look at her like she'd lost her mind or had learned a little too much from her mother she turned her attention making the room hers.

By the time that she'd had put her things away the day spent at airports, reassuring her mother and the lack of sleep that she'd gotten the night before hit the brunette like a freight train and all she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep. Sighing to herself she grabbed the pajama's that she'd kept and quickly slipped into them, deciding to shower in the morning as she crawled under the covers deciding to read for a little bit before she joined her sister and father downstairs. As her eyes took in the first few words on the page she felt her eyes droop and changed her plans, deciding to take a nap to giver herself a little more energy and quickly fell asleep.

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**I know, I know, not much happened but Bella's arrival and Billy and Jacob dropping the truck off is most definitely important to the story. I promise.  
Reviews -good or bad- are more than welcome. :)**


	3. Settling In

_I know, I suck and haven't updated in forever, I apologize about that and will defintely work on trying to get more frequent and more scheduled days to post new chapters. So, this chapter doesn't really have anything big happen but there are some crucial things that it has that will make more sense in the coming up chapters. Promise._

_Thank you for the Alerts and Favorites. A special thanks goes to all of those who reviewed the last two chapters. :)_

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**Chapter Two:  
****Settling In**

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Sitting with her back against the hard surface of the large piece of driftwood and her legs pulled to her chest, Alyssa watched the wave's crash angrily against the shore as a storm began to brew a little off of the horizon. She knew that she needed to head home before the storm hit and she ended up having to drive home in it and before Charlie went from a relaxed parent to a worried chief of police father and she ended up with flashing lights headed her way. Letting out a breath she glanced around her at the sandy beach and thick tree line but didn't move other than to stretch her legs out in front of her, not finding it in herself to move while she finally had the time to herself.

It had been two months since Bella had moved to the small town and while the blonde had thought that the attention that had come with her arrival would have blown over it seemed that only the opposite was happening. Alyssa had expected the first two weeks of being crowded by her classmates who had hoped that she had some kind of information to give them about Bella had had been thrilled when they had backed off. A week after they had, however, the brunette had almost gotten crushed by Tyler's van and the two siblings once again found themselves the center of attention to different degrees. Then, when that had died down the other girl had once again found a way to make herself the most talked about person at school by starting up a relationship with the one guy in school that almost all of the girls wanted.

She had needed the time to herself away from the stress that had come with the last two months including the few people that had caused all of that, namely the pasty white boy and the girl that she shared a bathroom with. If she was being honest with herself, she couldn't help but resent her adoptive sister a little for suddenly coming into her life and causing so much upheaval and making her feel like she was the outsider in the town that she'd grown up with. That added to the fact that she held a little disdain for the girl that had caused her father so much pain and thought that she could simply walk back into his life as if she had done nothing wrong and act like she was better than either of the two homes original occupants.

Standing up the teenager let out a breath as she dusted off the sand from her pants and glanced around at her surroundings, which had gotten a lot darker over the last few minutes that she'd been thinking. The weather had also dropped a few degrees causing her to shiver when a surprisingly strong gust of wind suddenly burst through the open space blowing strong enough to make it sound like it was quite literally growling. Shaking her head at the idea the blonde let out a breath and pulled her keys from her pocket before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the ignition before pulling out of the parking lot and heading toward her home.

As she pulled into the driveway she realized that the door was open and Charlie was standing on the porch with his phone to his ear and the small vein on the side of his neck sticking out enough she could see it from her position. Groaning she mentally prepared for the lecture that she knew was coming and slowly climbed out of her car, shivering as the rain that had started falling as she was driving hit her uncovered skin. Making her way up the few porch steps she pushed her hand though her now damp locks, quickly brushing past her father while he wrapped up his call to who she was guessing was Billy before heading to the kitchen.

"Where in the hell have you been?!"

"I just…needed some time by myself." She answered honestly with a small shrug.

He seemed to notice something in her expression as his face softened and he took a seat next to her, "What's going on? You've seemed a little…off lately."

"I just…haven't had a moment of alone time for the last two months. I'm constantly bothered at school about Bella and what's going on with her and Edward. Then when I get home, hoping to enjoy a little quite time she and Edward are here. Ever since Bella's gotten here, actually about two weeks before she did, my life isn't _mine_ anymore…I just want it back." She sighed, her voice breaking at the end.

"Oh, kiddo, I'm sorry." He frowned, rubbing her back.

"It's okay. I'll get used to it eventually. I think I am going to take advantage of my weekend off and head up to Port A, maybe spend a night in the hotel or something."

"I don't know…"

"It's just for the a day, dad, and I need it."

"If you'll think about having someone drive up there with you, I'll agree."

"Can you think of anyone that I don't see on a regular basis and wouldn't ask me about Bella and Edward?"

"Actually, I think I might." Charlie nodded, a mischievous smile pulling at his mustache covered lips.

After staring at him expectantly for a few minutes Alyssa realized that he wasn't going to give her an answer and simply rolled her eyes before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and heading up the stairs to her room. The sight of her sister walking down the stairs, her boyfriend hot on her heels watching the brunette's moves so closely it was as if he believed that a simple tumble down the stairs would cause irreparable harm. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes she slid past them and quickly dashed into her room, knowing that if she got in there fast enough she could easily shut her door and block herself from any possible conversation that they might try to engage.

Shutting the door behind her the blonde let out a relieved sigh as she stripped out of her slightly wet clothes and changed into her favorite pair of pajama pants and tank top, knowing that if she was comfortable sleep would come much faster. Putting her close in the dirty hamper she glanced out her window at the woods and the wind that was shaking nearly all of the leaves on one tree, making it nearly impossible to through the thick foliage. A flash of paper white and raven black passed through her peripheral and she quickly turned towards the sight but was only greeted with the same green scenery that she'd always seen and easily shrugged it off as she returned to her bed and pulled out the work she needed to finish.

By the time that she was finished with her homework as well as the extra credit that would bump her grade up to passing, she laid back at the realization that it wasn't her night to make dinner with a small smile. Grabbing the television remote she quickly turned it on and flipped to her favorite channel, briefly ignoring the picture as she read the scroll on the bottom warning a severe storm was heading her way. Rolling her eyes she glanced at the window as was surprised to find that the clouds above had darkened even further and made the sky seem a lot more ominous than she'd seen it look in a while and frowned before quickly shaking it off and turning her attention back to the television.

"Dinner's ready!" She heard Charlie's gruff voice call from the kitchen and turned off the television before sliding into her slippers and making her way down the stairs.

"What are we having?" She asked as she stepped into the kitchen and saw her father standing over the stove.

"Hamburger and fries, Bella's at the Cullen's, so, it's just me and you."

"Works for me." She smiled before moving to the fridge to get out the condiments that she knew she and Charlie would use, "What did you add to them this time?" She asked looking at the perfect patties sitting in front of her.

"Just bacon and cheese."

Alyssa smiled and shook her head lightly as she thought back to the time that she complained about the fact that she wanted a bacon cheese burger and Charlie when her back was turned had added bacon bits and shredded cheese to the raw meat. When she'd gotten her usual two patties situated perfectly center on the bun she notice the yellow bits and opened her mouth to say something but was stopped by the mischievous look her father had given her. After polishing of the two she had made herself she had made him promise that any time he made hamburgers hers had to be made the way that they were and he simply nodded and did as she asked.

"I can't believe that Billy still doesn't know that it's not just cheese." She said after swallowing a large bite.

"He just knows that it's good." The chief of police chuckled before taking a sip of beer. "Oh, the person I had in mind will be here to ride with you to Port A at one on Saturday."

"Are you really not going to tell me who it is?" She pouted, widening her eyes.

"Nope, but I'll give you a hint. He's always been like a big brother to you."

After a minute or two of thinking the blonde could only think of one person that fit that description and while the implied term that he was like a brother to her made her shudder slightly she couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips. There were only two people that he could have possibly been talking about were Paul and or Embry, who while she spent most of her time in La Push, had very quickly became like big brothers to her. While Embry was the person she confided in the most and had been her shoulder to cry on, Paul was the one who kept her laughing and seemed to take on the responsibility of keeping Charlie updated when they hung. Because of that the hot-headed womanizer who had been thrown in the back of a cop car a few times and the Chief of Police had somehow formed a friendship.

Pulling herself from her thoughts she smiled before standing to clear the table and do the dishes abiding by the rule that whoever didn't cook did dishes and but away the leftovers. As she multitasked by rinsing the dishes that needed to be and filling the left side of the sink with warm, soapy water she caught sight of the familiar silver Volvo pulling into the drive way. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Alyssa watched silently as Bella walked toward the house, alone and seemingly in a daze as the Edward's car pulled back out onto the street and sped down the street. Glancing at Charlie she let out a sigh at the look he was giving her and stepped away from the sink to intercept the older girl before leading her up the stairs.

By the time that they reached Bella's room the brunette seemed to come out of her daze and looked at Alyssa with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked cautiously.

"Do you believe in the super natural?"

Biting her lip the younger girl thought about the legends of the Cold Ones and the Spirit Warriors that she loved listening to at the bon fires that Billy had often invitied her and Charlie too. Back then they had simply been scary stories to her that would make her rush into her room when she got home, shut and lock her window before she hid under the covers. They seemed to mean much more after the Cullen's moved to town and the group on the Rez that she hung out with changed in more just appearance but personality. They had become so much more hostile at so much as a mention of the Cullen's that Alyssa couldn't help but wonder why it was and if their changes somehow linked to the appearance of the beautiful family.

"Yeah, kinda, I guess." She shrugged after a few moments of silence.

"Do you think there's any in Forks? Supernatural things, I mean."

With a nod Alyssa's mind once again drifted back to her group of friends on the reservation, "What's with the questions?"

"Just…wondering. Anyways, do you want to come with me to First Beach tomorrow?"

The blonde quickly and they decided to take Alyssa's car and meet the others at the beach instead of trying to squeeze into the large SUV that Mike would borrow from his mom or Tyler's van before saying good night. Cutting through the bathroom Alyssa couldn't help but wonder what it was about Bella's questions that seemed to set off a small alarm in the very back of her mind but quickly ignored it. When Charlie knocked on her door and sent a pointed look toward the brunette's room the blonde promised that she was fine and told him that she was going to bed before crawling onto her mattress and doing just that.

* * *

The blonde felt herself being gently shaken awake the next morning by a wide eyed Bella who, while prodding her sister to wake up, was constantly glancing at the clock, which alerted the blonde to the fact that they were late or were going to be if she didn't wake up. Streching the best she could in her horizontal position Alyssa let out a sigh before sitting up and glancing at the clock herself before pushing herself quickly out of her bed and rushing towards her closet. She knew that there was no way that she had time to shower and would have to do with putting her hair up and spraying a little more of her perfume than she usually used.

Grabbing a pair of leggings and a green long sleeve shirt she went into the bathroom, quickly changing and washing her face before pulling her hair into a messy bun on the top of her head. Biting her lip she glanced at the array of make-up around her sink and narrowed her eyes before turning away and grabbing her shoes and a pair of socks as she followed Bella down the stairs. She had plenty of make-up in her purse and had more than enough practice at putting it on in the car, no matter how jerky the person braked or how bumpy the roads were. She had just finished adding the last swipe of mascara to her eyelashes when they pulled into the parking lot, the brunette turning towards her with large eyes.

"I would have stabbed myself in the eyeball." She commented as she held out the keychain.

"Practice." Alyssa shrugged before smiling at the lost look on the other girls face, "Let's just say that the boys on the Rez are in no way cautious driver's when Dad's nowhere to be seen." She laughed, ignoring the flutter in her stomach as she thought of the group that she hadn't hung out with in a few months.

"Did you hang out with them a lot?"

Swallowing thickly the blonde nodded before waving at her friends and telling Bella that she would see her at the end of the day and rushing to meet up with the two girls that had stopped so that she could catch up with them. Before she could say anything Nicole had drawn her into a tight hug making the blonde frown and turn to Brianna who was shaking her head, making it clear that she didn't know what it was about either. After a minute the red-head pulled away and looked up at Alyssa with tear-filled eyes which only served to confuse both girls even more about their friends behavior.

"Okay, not that I don't appreciate that and I definitely needed it but what was that about?"

Taking a deep breath Nicole wiped at the single tear that had fallen from her eye before speaking, "I had a really bad dream last night and you were in it and _God _it was so freaking _vivid._"

Casting a look at the brunette across from her she realized that Brianna's face had suddenly turned worried too. It was a well known fact between the three of them that if Nicole had a dream that she described as vivid it usually, in one way or another, turned out to be a vision of sorts.

"What was it about?" Brianna asked cautiously.

"I…can we talk about it later? I…don't want to remember it right now."

Nodding the blonde started walking again before turning to them, "So, apparently I'm going to First Beach with Bella and her friends later. Oh and get this, apparently my dad had talked either Paul or Embry into driving to Port A with me this weekend." She beamed.

"I'll take the first part of that statement." Brianna said as they stopped at her and Nicole's lockers, "How did that happen?"

"I'm not really sure. Bella came home last night and was…out of it -"

"She's always out of it." Nicole chirped.

"-and started asking me all these really odd questions. Once she'd calmed down she asked me if I'd go with her, Mike and the rest of their little group. I have nothing better to do since you're working and this one is grounded."

"Hey. That party was so worth it."

"Anyways," Nicole sang looping her arm through Alyssa's as they headed toward her own locker, "What's this about you going to Port A with two of the best looking boys one the Rez?"

Stopping in front of her locker the blonde let out a sigh and worked on her combination as she explained to her two closest friends about her need to spend some time completely by herself and the fact that her father didn't feel safe letting her go alone. She couldn't help by smile largely as she explained that she wasn't sure which of the boys it was that she was going to be spending the drive with but knowing that either way she would enjoy her time with them. Knowing the bond that she had formed with the group, the two girls on either side couldn't help but be happy at the fact that their friend was getting a chance to spend time with some of the people that she'd had ripped away from her.

"I still don't understand why you don't hook me up with Paul." Nicole frowned, flicking her hair over her shoulder as they came to a stop at the door of her first class.

"He's obviously not worth it. Why would she want to set her friend up with the one boy who's known to have sex with anything?" Brianna cut in before the blonde could say anything.

"I suppose that make since. I'll see you guys later." The red-head sighed before stepping into her class.

"Thanks."

"No problem. You still crushing on…?"

"I'm getting over it." She shrugged, "I need to get to class. I'll see you later." The blonde said quickly, in no mood to talk about the reason it was that she no longer was so close to her former group of friends.

If there was one thing that she didn't like to and was in no way ready to even think about or try to piece together it was why her oldest best friend had so suddenly and literally slammed the door in her face on their friendship. Out of the ten people that she had quickly come to consider family the only people that she had talked to in the last few months were Paul, Embry and Emily, other than that the other's seemed to have no problem pretending that she didn't exist. Shaking her head she quickly pushed the feelings of betrayal to back of her mind as she walked into her first class of the day and took her seat.

Feeling eyes on her she felt the corners of her lips pull downward as she glanced around and was surprised to see four pairs of eyes staring at her with various emotions on the pale faces of all those looking at her. The first that she noticed because they were the only ones that weren't golden were Bella's who was frowning and clearly upset as she listened to what her friends were saying though her eyes never left the blonde. As for the three pairs of identical bright golden eyes they looked a mixture of the upset that Bella was displaying as well as something that she couldn't quite put her eyes on but made her stomach flutter in nerves. Before she could react in anyway the warning bell rang and the four quickly dispersed as Coach King walked in, a stack of papers in one hand and his usual silver thermos in the other.

Taking a deep breath she made a small mental note to ask her sister what that had been all about trying to convince herself that whatever they'd been talking about had nothing to do with whatever it was that Nicole's dream had been about. Taking a deep breath she pushed it out of her mind for the time being and opened her notebook to the closest blank page and grabbed her pen, ready to focus on her school work. The task provided to be surprisingly simple as Coach King dimmed the lights and announced that they were going to watch a movie while he graded the last of their latest tests but that there would be a short verbal pop quiz afterwards.

As the day went on the blonde seemed to always find herself in spitting distance of at least one of the Cullen's when she wasn't sitting in one of her classes and the same seemed to go for Nicole who was seemed to always be in arms reach. She'd barely managed to restrain herself from yelling at all of them to leave her alone and either give her answers or make themselves scarce the only reason that she hadn't was because she felt as if the second they were gone whatever they were all so scared of was going to happen. How she'd made it through the day without pulling out her hair or chewing her bottom lip of was beyond her and she wanted nothing more than to head directly to First Beach when the last bell rang simply to distance herself from the eyes that had been watching her all day.

By the time that she got to her car Bella was already there, leaning against the passenger in what looked to be a very deep conversation that came to an abrupt end when she was earshot as they both turned to her, "What's up?" She asked looking between the two.

"Nothing. We should probably leave now if we want to meet up with everybody on time." Bella said opening the door closest to her and moving to slip in the seat.

"Sure. I want to head home first and change, is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure, not a problem." Bella answered though she was fixing Edward with a pointed stare.

Shrugging of the weirdness of the day the blonde smiled and told the bronze haired boy that she'd see him later before slipping into the driver's seat and turning her attention to the trip to First Beach that she couldn't help but think wasn't going to be all that pleasant. She was friendly enough with the Forks kids that had set it up and wasn't worried about them so much as she was worried about the possibility that she could run into her former group of friends. There was no doubt in her mind that if she did not only would it be awkward but if it was Jacob, things would more than likely get ugly because as much as they simply pretended that the other didn't exist, she wanted answers about the way that their friendship had ended.

* * *

_Next chapter will be the 'trip' to First Beach as well as Alyssa's trip to Port A, which I'm hoping to have posted later today._


	4. First Beach

_Sorry I didnt have it up sooner but, well, real life got in the way...read and enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 3;  
****First Beach**

* * *

After a quick call from Mike, Bella informed her sister that the rest of the group were making a few stops to pick up a couple things and that they would be slightly late in meeting the two which seemed to make both girls let out a sigh of relief as Alyssa eased her foot off of the gas. She couldn't hold back the smile that the news caused to pull at her lips at the knowledge that she would have a little bit longer to prepare herself with the possible confrontation. As she pulled into the driveway and the clouds parted to reveal the sun she couldn't help but roll her eyes as she wondered if fate seemed to have it out for her for some reason.

It was pretty common knowledge that when it was sunny and above sixty degrees, which was considered to be hot in what the town considered spring, the Quileute's flooded the beaches more than usual. While most of them went to the beach that the 'palefaces' weren't allowed access to, a few went to First Beach and of those few it just happened to be her former group of friends that went to the one that she would be at that day. Despite the fact that she wasn't ready to see her former best friend slash the guy that she had fallen for, she was eager to see everyone else and that added to the fact that she'd promised Bella she'd go were the only things keeping her from finding a way to worm out of the trip.

"I thought you girls were headed straight to the Rez after school." Charlie said by way of greeting when they'd entered the house, causing Alyssa to jump and place a hand over her heart since she hadn't seen his cruiser in the driveway and didn't know that he'd gotten off of work early.

"We were but I wanted to change and we just learned that the others are going to be a little late anyways." She shrugged before standing on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the cheek, "You scared the crap out of me by the way." She said over her shoulder as she made her way up the stairs to her room.

Pushing open the door she frowned at the disarray that she'd made that morning in her haste to get ready and made a mental note to clean it up when she got home, if she wasn't too tired, before pulling off her shirt. Not bothering to think about what to wear she grabbed the first thing that her hand came in contact with, a light green baby tee shirt, that she hadn't worn since the last time she'd gone to a bon fire. Trying to ignore the meaning and the irony she quickly grabbed her black zip up hoodie and pulled it on before kicking off her shoes and sliding into her seldom worn flip flops knowing that even if her feet got cold she wouldn't have to worry as much about getting sand into her tennis shoes. After a quick look in the mirror she pulled the zipper of her hoodie down to the middle of her stomach and pulled her hair into a messy pile on the top of her head before touching up her make-up.

"They're on their way to the beach. You ready?" Bella asked as she stood at the door on her side of the bathroom.

"I guess." She sighed before turning the light off and heading down the stairs giving her father a questioning look when he moved to the door also.

"Relax, I'm going fishing with Billy and Harry." He chuckled as he motioned for them to go first, "You guys be careful, Aly, you know where to find me if you need me."

"We will be. Have fun, catch enough for me to make some fry with." The blonde smiled as she slid into the driver's seat.

As they made their way toward the reservation taking a few back roads Alyssa couldn't help but notice her sisters confused and slightly worried looks and had to hold back a laugh as she informed her that she knew a few short cuts. It didn't seem to reassure the older girl who gave her a slight nod before turning to look out the windows, Alyssa guessed to see if anything looked familiar and shook her head before turning her attention back to the road. When they pulled onto the gravel that made up the parking lot of First Beach she couldn't help but give Bella an 'I-told-you-so' look before she exited the car, smiling largely when she noticed, Jason, who she hadn't known would be there before laughing when he quickly ran to her and lifted her into his arms.

"I didn't know you would be here." He smiled, his jade eyes sparkling as he lowered her slightly.

Instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist so that she wouldn't fall the blonde couldn't help but smile back, "I could say the same. Of course, it doesn't help that I don't see you in school and when I do you're surrounded by a bunch of jocks."

"Hey!" Mike and Tyler called with a playful frown.

"Sorry, but it's true." She called while rolling her eyes as Jason set her down.

Looking up at his six foot one frame the blonde couldn't help but admire his muscular build, everything about the boy screamed that he was a panty-dropper and could easily charm his way in or out of pretty much anything. Sandy blonde hair, strong jaw and jade green eyes were more than enough to make him good looking and the confident air that he had seemed to add to his looks as much as his body did. With strong legs, defined biceps and what Alyssa knew for a fact was washboard abs under the shirt that he was wearing, he was without a doubt the best looking non-Cullen male at Forks high school and despite how old he appeared to be he was only a Junior.

"Sorry about that. I've just been busy training. There's a scout coming up next week and I want to make sure I'm at the top of my game."

"Oh, you'll blow his mind." She promised with a smile.

"If the two of you would come out of the little bubble that you made and help us carry this stuff down to the beach, that'd be great. Thanks." Jessica called to them sarcastically and if she hadn't turned to look at the girl Alyssa would have believed she was simply teasing but she caught the look of hurt in the other girls eyes.

"We're coming." She called back, ignoring the boys comments as she turned to look at Jason, "What did you do?"

"What me? Nothing!" He frowned before catching her look of disbelief, "Okay, I may have gone out on a date with her last week. Don't give me that look! I told her when I dropped her off that it was fun but I just wanted to be friends. Besides, she's clearly not over Mike."

"Yeah, okay."

As they made their way towards the trunk of the Mike's mother's SUV Alyssa couldn't help but curve herself into Jason's side when he threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into him as he rubbed her arm. Biting her lip as she rested her head against his shoulder the blonde couldn't help but wonder if he was just being his usual flirtatious self or if she should be taking the small things that he was doing a little more seriously. Mentally shaking her head the blonde wondered why it was that she was worried about it and reminded herself that the football player was only her friend and she didn't need to worry about if he was flirting with her or not.

Walking up to the back of the SUV the blonde quickly grabbed the first bag that she saw and let out a small grunt as she lifted it before looking inside to see why it was that it was so much heavier than she had expected it to be. She got her answer as she took in the sight of the sheer amount of hot dogs and hamburgers that had been stuffed into it and briefly wondered if more people had been invited than she had been aware of. There was no possible way that eight people could possibly consume the forty eight hot dots the bag contained let alone the five pounds of hamburger that was resting on the bottom of the bag.

Deciding to wait and see who all showed up instead of simply asking someone she carried slash dragged the heavy plastic bag down to the rapidly growing pile next the portable girl that someone had brought. Lifting the cover off of the three coolers she made quick work of setting her bagful in it and wondered if what she thought was just a small trip was actually a party that she hadn't been aware of. If it was the latter as the cooler full of beer and other alcoholic beverages suggested, she could only hope that someone had thought to bring a radio and enough trash bags and other items that they would need or it wouldn't be easy to clean up when they were finished.

The memory of her first real high school party popped into her mind and she couldn't help but smile as she remembered the party-goers reactions when they first saw her step into the overly crowded room. It had been obvious that they thought she was wither a prude or was going to tell on them at the first chance that she got since she was a cops daughter and she quickly proved them wrong. Before anyone could say anything to her she headed to the keg that had been sitting on the back porch, a number of people following her and called out for spotters as she did a keg stand following it up with a few hits from one of the various joints that was being passed around the partiers. After that there had been no doubt in their minds that she could and would party with the best of them regardless of her fathers role in the small town and she had gotten invites to all of the parties, big or small, that the small town had to offer.

"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked as she caught up to Alyssa, the two making their way back up to the SUV.

"My first real party."

"P-party?" The other girl stuttered out, eyes widening as she took in the large amount of people that were gravitating to what had originally been their small group.

"Yeah, I guess people thought that since I'm a cops daughter I would either narc on them or be a total wet blanket.

"What about Charlie? I mean, won't he get upset if he finds out what's going on here?"

"If I hid it from him, oh yeah but if I'm honest and let him know that I've had a couple drinks or whatever, he's usually pretty cool. I mean, he's a cop, he knows what teens are going to do regardless of the law. So, as long as I get home safe and am responsible, he usually lets it slide." The blonde shrugged as she made her way to the coolers after seeing that the SUV was now empty.

"I didn't know it was going to be a party." Bella muttered as she took in the suddenly loud music and teens that were clearly enjoying themselves.

"It probably wasn't going to be. That's how these things usually start out. You think you're going to hang out with a few friends and the next thing you know…" She trailed off gesturing around them at the amount of people that had suddenly appeared, "Relax, have fun and just let go of whatever worries are in that pretty little head of yours."

The older girl nodded and Alyssa quickly realized that her sister wasn't going to let go unless she had a little help in that department or if she was asleep and could simply forget whatever it was that was bothering her. Letting out a sigh Alyssa grabbed the brunette's hand and all but dragged the girl to where Jason and a few others were standing, waiting for the blunts to be passed around. As soon as he saw the siblings he smiled and lit the marijuana he'd just finished rolling before taking a few puffs and handing it to Alyssa who didn't waste any time copying his movements as she took a few hits before holding it out to her sister, wondering if she'd be the typical cops daughter or would prove that not everyone with a parent in law enforcement followed the rules.

"Ah, so _she's _the narc." A boy passing the group called and before the blonde could reply in defense of her sister the blunt was taken out of her hands as Bella took a long inhale of it, "Or not." He chuckled as Bella passed it on and immediately started coughing.

"Next time, don't hit it so hard." Alyssa said quietly as she rubbed her sisters back, her protective instincts kicking in.

"Yeah, you're going to be coughing for a little while." Jason added, his voice matching the blondes in volume.

After a few more puffs the sisters left the group as they made their way to the drinks and food arm in arm, giggling about whatever it was that popped into their head before finding a place to sit fairly close to the grill. Before the younger girl could actually sit down and take a long gulp of the Twisted Tea that she'd been handed she felt a pair of large, warmer than usual arms wrap tightly around her before lifting her into the air effortlessly. The small shriek that spilled from her lips quickly turned into a giggle as she twisted around to see the familiar face of Quill, who simply smiled more largely before spinning her around and laughing deeply at her giggles.

"Q!" She gasped as her laughs subsided and she found it hard to breathe.

"Let her down so we can all get our hugs in." Emily's familiar motherly tone sounded from a few feet away.

"Or, you know, before she passes out due to lack of oxygen." Jared added just as she was released from the iron like grip holding her before being wrapped into another one.

After passing out hugs to everyone from the former group that she had considered family she glanced around and came to the quick realization that only one person was missing but decided not to comment on Jacob's sudden disappearance as they all moved to sit down. Out of the corner of her eye she could make out the out line of her sister and former best friend talking by the fire and felt her blood turn hot at the sight of them together. Paul, apparently noticing the same thing she had, quickly drew her attention as he filled her in on the latest happenings of their small group, including the recent addition of Leah who gave her a small nod before turning to glare at Sam and Emily, making the blonde wonder what exactly the story was there.

By the time that the large pile of drift wood was lit, it was just starting to get dark and Alyssa had what she'd counted to be her third beer in her hands, thought it didn't seem accurate due to her swaying and sense of ease that she was feeling. It meant that she had either inhaled more marijuana and drank more alcohol than she remembered or her tolerance for both substances had lowered considerably since the last time she'd enjoyed either. Frowning she lifted her cup to her lips and realized that it was empty before turning to head toward the coolers to get a refill but quickly found herself running into what seemed to be a slightly soft, warm brick wall that sent her spiraling backwards to the now cool sand.

"Careful." Paul's deep voice chuckled as he easily caught her and righted her, "Take it easy, by the way, the last thing me and Embry want is you hung over on our little road trip to Port A."

"You're both coming with me!" She beamed, excited to know that both of the large boys would be accompanying her on her trip.

"Of course, you didn't think we'd pass up the opportunity to spend a few hours with our favorite girl did you?" He asked, his signature smirk making its appearance.

"Good. I missed you guys." She frowned, her eyes suddenly stinging with unshed tears.

"Oh, Aly, don't cry. You know we'd be around more if we could." He mumbled as he pulled her into a tight hug as the tears that she'd prevented from falling for so long did just that.

While she knew that her tears were mostly a product of her drunken state there was no denying that they were also real and that she hadn't exactly had time to grieve over the loss of her second family the way she would have liked. They had been ripped from her so suddenly that she couldn't help but be hurt that none of them seemed to so much as try and reach out to her to let her know that they still cared about her. After a few minutes she stopped the tears as his words finally clicked into place and she pulled back looking at him with slightly narrowed eyes and confusion clear in her eyes as she digested the fact that he said 'if they could'.

"If you could?" She asked.

"Ah, I was hoping…" He started to say before trailing off and letting out a deep sigh before shaking his head, "I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." He promised, kissing her forehead before all but vanishing into the tree line a few feet away.

Watching his large form walk toward the tree line and then quickly disappeared behind it she couldn't help the frown pulling at her lips as she slowly turned around to find her sister, who was talking with Jacob a few feet away. She knew without a doubt that whatever the meaning behind Paul's words they both knew what it was and she took a deep breath as she slowly made her way to where they were standing. There was no way that Jacob would answer her questions but she knew that if threw enough of them at Bella, she might break and reveal whatever it was that the secret everyone seemed to be keeping from her was.

When she was only about a yard away she watched as Jacob's body stiffened before he said something to Bella and walked away quickly, leaving the brunette looking confused and slightly hurt about the fact that he'd just turned and walked away. Rolling her eyes the blonde had noticed his eyes shift toward her for a second before he'd left and couldn't help but feel angry that apparently he couldn't stand to be in the same proximity as her. Tossing her empty cup in the trash she moved to sit beside her sister and was surprised when the older girl looped their arms before pulling her into a standing position again as they walked away from the large crowd to Alyssa's car.

"We need to talk." Bella sighed as soon as their feet hit the gravel.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing." Alyssa nodded.

"How…not sober are you?"

Despite the tension running between the two the blonde couldn't help but laugh at the phrasing of her sisters question and how seriously she'd managed to say it as she ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face, "Sorry, I've had my fair share and I have a feeling you stuck to soda the whole night so you drive." Alyssa said as she slid into the passenger seat, "Keys are in the ignition."

By the time that they arrived at the house, Alyssa was starving and went straight into the kitchen before pulling out a bag of chips as she waited for the pizza she'd set in the microwave to finish warming up. As she chewed on the salty pieces of potato she watched as Bella wrung her hands and jiggled her foot, obviously anxious or nervous about whatever was on her mind which seemed to be proven true when the microwave beeped and she jumped a foot in the air. Giving the older girl an odd look as she set her pizza on the table and sat down she wondered who it was that was going to break the ice first before deciding that it was better to just get it over with.

"What's the deal with the Cullen's?" She asked after she took a sip of her drink, "And don't give me some bull crap story. They all have cold skin, those freaky color eyes, any time someone bleeds they all get all tense before leaving and whenever the sun comes out they magically disappear from school. Please don't give me the camping story because we both know it's bull."

"Well…um…see…"

"Are they vampires?" The blonde asked with a small roll of her eyes before looking to see Bella with a mixture of worry and relief on her face.

Jumping up from where she was sitting the blonde quickly shook her head back and forth as she thought about her own description of the Cullen's compared to the old Legends that she'd heard Billy tell so often. They couldn't be true though, they were just old legends made up by the tribe to make children behave and scare them into checking under the bed at night, there was no way that they were actually true. Besides, if they were that meant that the story about the wolf warrior had to be true also and she couldn't imagine any one that she knew on the reservation suddenly turning into horse sized wolves when a vampire suddenly came around.

As she remembered the few 'unknown' bits of the legends that Jacob had told her she couldn't help but compare them to what had happened a few months after the Cullen's arrived. Apparently those with the 'gene' would grow suddenly in size much like her friends had and become much more prone to anger which seemed to fit them all to the t. They would also have to cut off all contact with anyone that wasn't in the pack except for what Jacob had said was an imprint and the elders that had known about them long before. Shaking her head she tried to silence her mind so that she wouldn't come to the conclusion of what had been going on for the last year, the blonde begged her mind to just stop or she knew for a fact she'd rush over to Jacob's and demand answers.

"Vampires and shape shifters?" She said shaking her head, "No, that's crazy stuff like this only happens in book and movies and…dreams!" She smiled, suddenly convinced that she was sleeping as she pinched herself on her arm and frowned when she didn't suddenly wake up.

* * *

_I know, I kinda ended it suddenly but I knew that if I went on anymore I wouldn't be able to stop and it would be a MASSIVE chapter sooo...I cut it off, maybe at the wrong spot but...what can I say? It kind of seemed...RIGHT to me so I stopped it. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon._


	5. Surprise Tag Alongs

_So, I planned this chapter going a little...differently but this is what came out and it contains the very first seeds of Alyssa's TRUE dislike for the Cullen's and Bella. Not much but a seed which will continue to grow more as the story continues._

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**Chapter 4;  
****Surprise tag alongs**

* * *

Lying in her bed as she tried to process all of the information that she'd been given only an hour ago Alyssa turned onto her side staring blankly at the alarm clock on her night stand and wondered if she wasn't just tripping. It wouldn't be the first time that she'd smoked or drank something that was laced but quickly pushed the thought aside knowing that Jason would tell her if anyone had tried anything. Besides, the times that she had tripped it never involved anything of the supernatural or someone telling her that they existed, it was more things dripping on walls, floors moving and objects turning into monsters of some variety.

The fact that Edward had come over to talk to her and let her know that it was in fact real, going as far as showing her his fangs and explaining to her that he could walk in the sunlight thanks to his bewitched family crest. If she hadn't had enough to think about him subtly mentioning that even witches were also real had made her stare at him opened mouthed as he went on to explain that the Cullen family, while a few members smaller, had lived here before. As he spoke about how being around vampires for a certain length of time 'activated' the wolf gene and that he and his father knew that there was a possibility of turning the boys of La Push's lives upside down she could feel her blood boil.

Supposedly they were 'good' vampires and only drank animal blood but that didn't change the fact that they had deliberately moved to the small town knowing that the consequences of their actions would mean drastic upheaval in others' lives. She hadn't bit her tongue as the cross had thought her mind and asked Edward why they had done and scoffed and rolled her eyes at the flimsy excuse of thinking the gene had died out. She gave him a curt thanks for explaining a few things and answering her questions to which he simply told her that she couldn't tell the 'pack' that he'd told her or it would start a war. She had literally bit her tongue and balled her hands into fists to resist the urge to flick him off, wondering how Bella could tolerate someone that was as selfish as the Cullen's apparently were.

They tried to paint themselves as good guys who were better than most of their kind but Alyssa didn't and couldn't buy into it, no matter how hard it was that they pretended to be something that they so clearly weren't. They had interacted with the human race, knowing that if anyone found out what they were they would either be turned or killed for simply holding the knowledge that vampires existed and forever altered a group of teenage boys lives. How was making the decision to move somewhere that you knew may possibly alter lives forever better than simply doing what was in your nature and using that to go after guilty criminals?

The sound of her alarm beeping loudly next to her woke her up and made her frown, not realizing that while she'd been thinking she had fallen asleep as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Peering at the clock once again she realized that she had about an hour to prepare herself both mentally and physically for her trip to Port A with Paul and Embry and let out a groan as she got out of bed. Stumbling toward the bathroom she glanced in the mirror and felt her eyes widen as she realized that she had fallen asleep in her make-up which was now smeared across her face before grabbing one of her baby wipes and clearing her face of it.

Turning on the water and allowing it to reach her preferred temperature, Alyssa glanced out the window surprised to find that not only was the sun shining brightly but there were only a few wispy clouds in the sky. Smiling as she moved to her room to check open a window and check the temperature, her smile widened at the seventy degrees and decided that instead of the jeans she was going to wear she'd replace them with leggings. Letting out a sigh as she shut the window she quickly hurried into the bathroom and locked both doors before stripping out of her clothes and stepping into the hot spray that immediately started pounding against her tense muscles.

When she stepped out a seemingly too short twenty minutes later, completely clean and the smell of beer and marijuana from the previous night washed from her skin she wiped the mirror of the steam it had collected, thinking of the different ways the day could go. She wasn't sure she should bring up what she had learned to the two large boys and see if they would tell their part of the tale or if it was best to simply act like she was still completely in the dark. She quickly realized that the latter simply wasn't an option, there was no way that she would be able to keep quiet about something so large and decided to simply hint that she knew what was going on.

Mind made up she turned to her dresser to pair out her favorite pair of black leggings before grabbing a white wife-beater and her purple plaid button up shirt and quickly getting dressed, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt to just above her elbows. A quick glance in the mirror left her satisfied with her clothing choice and she smiled brightly at her reflection before returning to the bathroom to do her hair which she decided to simply blow dry. Leaning over the counter slightly to start in on her make-up she was surprised when the door leading to Bella's room opened, the older girl looking as if she'd been woken up as she gave her a soft smile.

"You okay?" The brunette asked.

"As I can be, I suppose." Alyssa shrugged with a small sigh.

"Oh, Paul and Embry are here."

"Damn, I thought I was going to beat them for once." The blonde laughed, "Will you-" She started to say, only to have her sentence cut off by the door to her room banging open.

"You're not ready!" Paul ordered as his large frame filled the bathroom door as Embry, who she could barely see, rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Not yet, don't give me that look. This is the most I've ever been ready by the time you got here." She added, "How do you guys always get here so fast?" She asked, forgetting for a minute about what she had learned the previous night.

"Short cuts that you pale faces don't know about." He shrugged with a teasing smile and a small wink.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes before turning to face the mirror, "I'm almost done. I'll be ready in like two minutes."

Turning her attention back to the task of applying her make-up she heard Paul say that they would meet her down stairs, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'more like two hours' but decided to ignore the comment. Out of the corner of her and she noticed that Bella hadn't moved from her spot and realized that Paul and Embry hadn't said anything to her, though their noses had been scrunched in distaste. Swiping on a quick coat of mascara and lip gloss she turned to leave the room but stopped when her sister called out to her and quickly turned around but the older girl simply opened and closed her mouth a few times before letting out a sigh, shaking her head and turning around.

Shrugging it off the blonde cut through her room, slid her feet into her flip flops and grabbed her black purse, fishing her car keys out as she made her way down the stairs vaguely wondering who they were going to fit into her car. It wasn't that it was exactly the smallest car she'd ever been in but it was and with the boys new sizes she wondered if there was any possible way for them to even fit into it comfortably. Biting her lip as she followed the sound of their voices she wasn't surprised to find them in the kitchen, Paul with his head in the fridge as Embry combed through the cabinets, clearly looking for something to eat.

"We can stop to eat on the way." She said, leaning against the counter as she watched both boys turn to her with large matching smiles, "Question before we leave. Are we taking my car? Or did you bring one of your trucks?"

"We brought my mom's truck actually. We had a few more people tag along."

She could feel her eyes widen before curiosity got the best of her and she all but ran to the front door ignoring the fact that the two boys were laughing at her and flung it open almost as soon as her fingers wrapped around the doorknob. In her haste to find out which of her friends would also be joining her she wasn't exactly focused on anything other than getting to the large midnight blue SUV and collided with what felt like a warm, solid but somehow soft brick wall. The impact was enough to send her bouncing off of what she knew vaguely was a person and sending her butt on a one way collision course with the hard wooden porch. Thankfully, whoever it was seemed to have amazing reflexes as a pair of large warm hands wrapped around her upper arms and stopped what she knew from experience would result in a bruised and painful bottom.

Looking up she opened her mouth to thank whichever of the boys that it was that had saved her but immediately snapped it shut, eyes narrowing as she took in the handsome, familiar face of her former best friend. She wasn't surprised when his eyes refused to meet hers since they never seemed to at all since he'd called of their friendship, a fact that made her fingers twitch to grab his chin and force him to. Realizing that they were still standing far closer than was appropriate and that his hands were still wrapped around her arms, the heat from them soaking into her skin and making her realize just how cold she was, she took a step back and mumbled a thank you.

"Sure, sure." He nodded before turning his attention to Paul and Embry and telling them that they needed to get a move on.

"You got everything that you need, Aly?" Embry asked as he took the few steps to meet her and wrapped a large arm around her shoulders, his body heat soaking into her.

"Yeah."

"Good. By the way, he's not the only person accompanying us on our little road trip."

"Good. Who else?" She asked, her mood brightening.

"Go find out." He chuckled, nodding his head toward the vehicle with a broad smile.

Rolling her eyes she pulled open the door behind the driver's seat and couldn't help but beam largely at the sight of Emily and Sam who gave her awkward hugs from their seated positions before motioning for her to make herself comfortable in the front middle seat. After making herself comfortable she felt two warm bodies slide in beside her as someone else made situated themself in the backseat with Sam and Emily. The sudden jolt that ran through her when her thigh brushed against the person on her left told her that it wasn't Embry who was sitting next to her, her body had only ever responded like that to one person in her sixteen years, Jacob Black.

As much as she wanted to open her mouth and offer to exchange seats with someone she simply couldn't, no matter how pissed she was with the boy to her right, she knew that there was no way she would ever deny the chance to be close to him. That was something that had only started the year before and had surprised her, she'd never felt the need to simply be in reaching distance of someone until Jacob had started his growth spurt last year. She hadn't been aware that she'd always been slightly cold but now realized that whenever he was around, even simply within eyesight, she felt warmer than usual and her muscles seemed to relax the closer he was.

"So game plan is that you and Emily are going to do your shopping while we go look for something." Sam said from the backseat, causing Alyssa to turn in her seat to face him.

"Sounds good to me."

"We're stopping to eat first. I'm starving."

"It would be a better idea to stop closer to Port A. They have better options." Jacob added.

"I would kill for a bacon cheeseburger from Steak-N-Shake."

A round of agreements met Sam's statement and they quickly decided that they would stop and eat before they dropped the girls off which led to Alyssa turning to Emily with bright eyes as she asked what all she needed to pick up. Not long after the boys immediately started talking about the week of games that had played and both girls shared a look before rolling their eyes, knowing it was their way of trying to tune out shopping details. The drive seemed to fly by as conversation flowed freely between most of the occupants of the car with Jacob and Alyssa doing their best to be civil and even having a slightly awkward conversation about their fathers.

"Oh! We're having a bon-fire for Quil on Tuesday."

"For his birthday?"

"Yeah, kind of. You should come."

"I have work but I'll stop by afterwards if I can." She sighed, she honestly hadn't realized just how much she had missed the La Push group, "Are you going to avoid me if I do?" She asked, the words spilling from her lips before she had much time to really think about them. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud." She mumbled, her cheeks suddenly feeling warmer than normal.

"No, you were right. I won't ignore you." He said and she could hear the smile in his voice but kept her eyes firmly on her hands as they sat folded in her lap.

She couldn't help the small smile that pulled at her lips and stayed there as she turned in her seat to ask Emily where it was that they wanted to start and if she and Sam had set a date, to which she was surprised to find was only a month away. Studying the only other woman in the car she glanced at the scars that marred her beautiful face and couldn't help but think about how every time approached her, it was them that he lovingly kissed first. That combined with what little information Edward had told her about how easy it was for them to get angry and shift made her wonder if it was Sam that had put the scars there and not a bear. She bit down on her tongue to keep from asking and turned around to find a station on the radio that wasn't a station that played the same five songs or something classical, finally settling for the hip hop station to which the boys made noise of approval at.

Five minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant and climbing out of the car, after having been stuck between the two large boys that were somehow so warm, Alyssa couldn't help but shiver slightly. Paul seemed to notice and quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her into his side and while it helped she knew that it wasn't going to warm her all of the way. Huddling closer to his side as more of the chill seemed to soak into her bones, she looked up and frowned as she noticed that Jacob and Embry were still back by the car and from the intense looks on their faces whatever they were talking about wasn't a pleasant conversation.

A slight tug from Paul returned her attention to the restaurant in front of her as Sam pulled the door open, the smell of food infiltrating her nostrils and making her stomach grumble in reminder that she hadn't eaten yet. Not long after they'd entered the were seated with their orders placed and she tried her best not to gawk at the fact that each of the boys ordered enough to feed the entire table, making her wonder if it was a 'wolf' thing. Pushing the thought from her mind she turned her attention to Emily who must have caught something in Alyssa's eyes because her own darker ones widen before sending her a look that once they broke away from the boys they would be having a talk while they did their shopping.

Thirty minutes later the two were walking towards Victoria's Secret, having fulfilled their small talk Emily asked the question the blonde had been waiting for, wording it so that it seemed like she was talking about the latest gossip rather than reality shattering news.

"So, you know?"

The blonde opened and closed her mouth a few times in surprise before letting out a sigh, "Yeah…I was…informed last night."

"And you've managed to stay quiet about it for two hours?" The dark haired girl laughed, "I would have and did, start asking questions the second I saw them."

"I wanted to but you're….one of them." Receiving a look from her friend she quickly clarified what she meant, "Not _that_. I just meant that somehow you're a member of the pack."

Emily simply shrugged as she lifted one of the tester bottles of lotion to her nose, "In an indirect way, anyways, are you going to say anything?"

"I want to. I mean, I have so many questions but I'm not really sure that I want all of the answers and there's the fact that I'm not supposed to know Edward and Bella made that really clear."

"Wait…they told you?"

"Well, kind of. Bella did and Edward came over and gave me some very vague answers." She explained as she tossed a bottle of lotion, body wash and perfume in the bag the store gave in place of carts, making sure that none of them were testers and that they were all Amber Romance before turning her attention to the underwear and bras.

After grabbing a few pairs of rather sexy bras and panties at her friends insistence as well as a sweatshirt the two quickly moved to the line to make their purchases the blonde smirking as Emily's sexy teddy was rung up, her friends face growing darker until it was firmly in the bag. With their pink stripped bags in tow the two quickly moved to the next store as Emily tried to convince her that when they met up with the boys, she needed to tell them that she knew. A part of Alyssa wanted to do nothing more but the other part that was slightly large was telling her that if she did she was probably going to regret it in some way and that her world would be tilted on its axis even more.

By the time that they headed to the food court, where they had agreed to meet up with the boys, the blonde had given in after Emily had bribed her with the promise of her favorite meal but the blonde had countered with the condition that they wait until they were either back at her house or on the reservation. It seemed to satisfy the older girl who simply gave a large smile before motioning to the clothing store in front of them saying that she needed a few pairs of tops and possibly even shorts since the weather was far too warm for any of her clothes. While the other girl headed directly toward the back of the store Alyssa checked her money and was surprised to find that she still had much more than she had thought considering the various bags in her hands and couldn't help but smile as she moved toward the left wall where a variety of shorts were displayed.

Two hours later they were finished with their shopping and seemed to have more bags than either could hold as they made their way to the food court, the place that they had planned to meet up with the boys. By the time that they arrived the boys were already there, impossible to miss as they loomed over the rest of the mall goers who were giving them a wide berth but still glancing their way and mumbling to their friends. A few girls seemed to attempt to try and walk up to them but after a few short words turned and walked away, rolling their eyes while their friends waited eagerly for them to return and hear what happened.

"Not that I don't love the attention but we should probably be going." Paul smiled, winking at a girl that happened to pass by his line of sight.

"_Yes_ we should, Alyssa's coming over for dinner tonight." Emily smiled before giving her fiancé a quick kiss and pressing herself against his body, "She has something she wants to tell you guys."

* * *

**What? A little interaction and it is the very beginning. The next chapter will have her telling the pack that she knows and maybe she and Jake will meet eyes for the first time since he became a wolf? ;) Also, try not to take mistakes too harshly. I don't have a beta or even a proof-reader and I miss a lot of things after typing all day and hurrying through my own proof read so I can post it for you guys.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Jake's Day

_And here it is, the chapter that really sets of the story and the one you've probably been waiting for!_

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**Chapter 5:  
****Jake's Day****  
**

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Leaning against one of the thicker trees a few feet inside the edge of the forest, Jacob couldn't help but wonder what it was that was taking the members of the southern Washington pack so long to make their appearance. He knew they were much further out than La Push but considering that their meeting was set for one o'clock and it was now pushing on one thirty, he was anxious to get to back to the mall. It was the first time in nearly two months that he'd seen his best friend and his nerves were already all over the place, the other pack being late were simply wearing them down even more which would make it harder to control phasing, which was exactly why it was that he hadn't been allowed to see her whenever it was that he wanted to.

After meeting Emily for the first time and seeing the three scars that ran from her scalp and down her neck, under her shirt and to the waist of her pants Jacob had understood immediately why it was that he wasn't allowed to see Alyssa until he could get himself under control. He'd tried to keep in contact with the blonde through calls and texts but Sam and his father had headed him off in every way that they could and he'd only stopped trying once the Alpha had realized he wouldn't give up and decided to give him the first Alpha Order which happened to be the day that she had stopped by. Jake had known that slamming the door in her face and being as cool toward her as possible would be enough to get her to stop and wasn't surprised when it had but he couldn't deny that doing so had hurt him just as much as it had her.

Now that he had his shifting under tight wraps and was probably the best at controlling it out of anyone in the pack with the exception of Sam, he hoped that the only time that he would get to spend with her wouldn't be when other pack members were around. The day so far had simply been a test to see how well he did, at least that was what he thought, and he knew that three members of the pack were plenty for the meeting to go along but wasn't going to say anything about it. Instead he'd simply make it through the day without phasing unless absolutely necessary and hope that it would be enough to show them that he wouldn't need a babysitter anytime he had to do something or went to see someone.

There was also the fact that if he could finally go into town without someone following him or making excuses as to why they needed to join him. He was aware that earlier in the car, his inviting Alyssa to join them for the bonfire that would be a celebration of not only Quil's birthday but his joining the pack would be the first big step of repairing their relationship, if she decided to come. His promise to actually talk to her and not simply ignore her was more genuine than possible now that Sam had lifted the order, though he was sure that none of his pack brothers realized the Alpha had done so especially since he'd only done so in the car after they'd finished eating.

Thinking of their small stop Jacob couldn't help the small sigh that pushed through his lips as he thought about what Embry reminded him that he needed to do, no matter how badly he wanted to do it, he was hesitant. The entire pack felt the urge to protect the blonde, the same way that they felt the urge to protect Emily and Jared's imprint, Kim, which they figured could only mean that she was someone's imprint. Out of the six that didn't have imprints, five of them had already made sure to make some form of eye contact with Alyssa to find out if they were the ones that would imprint on her and when they didn't all made sure to remind Jake that he hadn't.

There was no denying that if it anyone in the pack was going to share some mythical bond with the blonde, Jacob was hoping that it was going to be him and not someone that had yet to phase. It would make life a lot easier since they already knew just about everything about each other and he already had already fallen for her and wouldn't get hurt if someone else imprinted on her. That didn't mean that he was excited to do so, in fact, he was downright terrified that he was going to look into her blue-grey eyes and nothing would happen, which would mean that not that not only was she someone else's but that another teen would be joining the pack. That mixed in with the fact that if she was in fact his imprint, he didn't want the choice of who she was supposed to love to be taken from her or for her to be stuck in their small rainy corner of Washington, never allowed to follow her dreams, made him reluctant to do so.

The sound of large paws beating against the moist ground a mile to his left pulled him from his thoughts as he stood straight and turned his body in that direction before taking a deep breath and allowing the various scents the forest held to fill his nostrils. It was easy for him to allow the natural smell of the forest to be pushed to the back of his mind since he spent so much time there and focused his attention on the one that he'd never smelled before. It was a strange but not unpleasant mixture of what seemed like cinnamon and musk and he realized after a few seconds that instead of heading straight for them the members of the pack had suddenly turned abruptly before the sickeningly sweet smell of leech hit him.

Not sure if he was supposed to shift he turned to Sam who seemed to be studying the area the other pack had turned before a loud bear like roar reached their ears and he nodded as he bent to pull his shorts off, having already taken his shirt of in the car like the rest of them. After they were wrapped securely around his waist he felt a few brief seconds of all consuming pain pass over him before he was in his wolf's body, his mind taking only a few seconds to connect to his pack-mates. The smell's that had assaulted him before were now much more intense, as were the everyday sound of the forest but with practiced ease he ignored it and followed the smell of the leech, making sure not to run to fast so that the other pack didn't turn their attack on him when he came into their view.

_There's more than one._ He said to the others pointlessly, as the smell suddenly broke off into four different directions.

_One for two of us, they brought four too._ Sam filled them in before instructing them to take a trail and help whoever it was from the other pack take down the bloodsucker as quickly as they could.

Not waiting for his Alpha to tell him to go, Jacob headed in the direction of the trail closest to him, paws tearing into the wet earth as he raced through the trees where the vampire had clearly tried to lose the shifter that was chasing him. After a few minutes he came to the easy realization that the path was leading toward town, where the vampire would be able to walk through town easily but a horse sized wolf and bear would cause a commotion. Thankfully, the member of the other pack had clearly seen through this act and cut the bloodsucker off from doing that, leaving it no choice but to head deeper into the forest and near where Jake knew to be a clearing was.

Quickly turning so that he would enter the small area from the opposite end of where the other two had, letting out a low howl in warning to whoever it was that was currently on his side of the fight he took a few seconds before jumping through the clearing. Taking a minute to watch the too large to be natural black bear and Hispanic looking vampire fight, waiting for the other shifter to get in position so that he could help. His arrival threw the vampire and the bear made quick work of getting it on its back before it glanced up at him and gave a slight nod in approval before he trotted over and set to work at removing the head and limbs of the red-eyed man while the bear kept it mostly in place with two paws on it's torso.

_Shifting._ He told his pack-mates, knowing that it wouldn't distract them when he gave the warning the way it would if he just shifted without saying anything.

Instead of doing the modest thing and retreating to the treats to shift he simply turned his back before shifting once again into his human form before pulling on his shorts and fishing the zippo he always carried out of his pocket. He took care of piling the limbs, torso and head into a small pile before lighting them with the zippo, watching as they all instantly caught and sent a plume of purple smoke into the air as the large bear shifted into his own human form before joining him next to the small fire. They said nothing for a few minutes, each silently wondering how their pack mates had faired before both turning simultaneously in the direction that the packs had agreed to meet at.

"Thanks for the help."

"No problem. Name's Jake."

"I'm Ryan. I highly doubt this is how our Alpha's planned on this happening."

"Sam will probably be a little upset but excited that we finally got to take down some bloodsuckers." Jake shrugged, ducking under a low hanging branch, "So, bears?"

"Yeah, not as pretty as wolves but, gets the job done." Ryan shrugged.

Nodding Jake said nothing else, not sure what it was that they could make small talk about and not wanting to say something that Sam didn't want the other pack to know about. Glancing at the other boy Jacob realized that while he built much like himself, Ryan was slightly shorter with hair that touched the tops of his ears and seemed to have had his nose broken a few times. They continued their walk back in silence, neither entirely sure what to say and came upon the meeting spot just as the other six did before they came to a stop, the eight shape-shifters looking at each other in silence for a few minute before Sam broke it.

Instead of steadily transitioning into what it was that the other group needed, Sam flat out asked and Jake could tell that it wasn't only determination for there to be no bullshit between them but because he was anxious to see Emily. From what he could tell, it seemed as those with imprints headed straight for them after dealing with a leech and while he hadn't really understood it before since he'd never actually disposed of one, he could see why it was that way. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was more than eager to get back to the mall and see Alyssa, even though he knew that she was safe in the well-populated area, he had a feeling he wouldn't be content until he saw her for himself.

After a few minutes of conversation they learned that the other three pairs hadn't been so lucky and that the three vampires had escaped, the Alpha of the bear pack informed them that they had been the same ones that were terrorizing their reservation. Promising to let them know if they needed help or if the small group became a problem, Sam ended the meeting with a handshake and exchange of numbers before informing them that he needed to get back to his imprint. It was clear that the other group wanted to ask questions but decided against it before disappearing into the woods to shift while the La Push boys simply tugged on the shirts they'd taken off before they'd even stepped in the forest and headed back towards the SUV.

A short ride later the four walked into the mall, glancing over the sea of heads for the girls that they were waiting for before realizing that they were clearly still shopping and leaned against the wall, content to people watch as they waited. As they did so it was very easy to realize that the mall-goers were giving them a wide berth, instinctively knowing that they weren't people to mess with and didn't want to take the chance of doing something to set them off. Paul, being himself, smiled at all of the girls that passed that weren't all that bad looking as did Embry, while the other two repeatedly glanced around looking for the woman with scars down her face and the small blonde that would undoubtedly have her arms full of bags.

"You're eager to see her." Sam commented, rolling his eyes as Paul sent a wink to the girl that walked past.

"She's my best friend and I haven't gotten to so much as talk to her in months." He shrugged.

"Sure." His Alpha nodded but there was a knowing look in his eye that made Jake uneasy.

"You're acting as if you _know_."

"Not for sure but I have a feeling. You need to do it soon."

"I will, at Quil's bonfire."

Instead of responding the older boy simply shook his head before turning his head a smile breaking out on his face even before he saw his imprint heading there way and it only widen when he laid his eyes on her. Taking a deep breath Jake followed the direction of Sam's eyes and felt a smile pull at his own lips as he watched Alyssa bite her lip and say something to Emily a frown marring her face at whatever the other girls said.

"Not that I don't love the attention but we should probably be going." Paul smiled, once again winking at a random girl before turning his attention to the small group.

"_Yes_ we should, Alyssa's coming over for dinner tonight." Emily smiled before giving her fiancé a quick kiss and pressing herself against his body, "She has something she wants to tell you guys."

At Emily's words the boys turned to the blonde whose face turned a pale shade of pink and nodded as she played with one of the bags in her hand before taking a deep breath and seeming to prepare herself for something. She looked up at Paul after a quick glance at Jake from the corner of her eye and Jacob had to clasp his hands together to stop himself from wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his arms. Embry announced they should get a move on and Jacob was thankful for the break in the sudden tension that had been there before moving towards the doors and trying to resist the urge to touch Alyssa.

The idea that she could actually be his imprint suddenly seemed more real than when his pack brothers and sister were teasing him about it and the need to look into her eyes to see if she was seemed urgent. By the time he got the chance they were all seated comfortably in the large car, his left side pressed against her right and he noticed for the first time that when they were around each other they seemed to gravitate towards one another as if they were magnets. Slipping his hands under his thighs so he wouldn't grab her chin and force eye contact Jacob let out a breath knowing that if that were to happen it would distract Paul's driving and even with his preternatural hearing he'd more than likely end up wreaking the car.

After a few minutes of tense silence Alyssa let out a breath before turning in her seat, situating herself so that she could see everyone, "Are you going to model what you got today for us when we get back, Em?" She asked and the tension seemed to lessen a little at her teasing question and Jake turned to see the older girls face darken as a small smile pulled at her lips.

"Are you finally going to do it?" Embry asked as the two girls teased each other, his voice low enough that only Jake, Paul and Sam could hear.

"When we get to Sam's." He said simply, surprising his friends whose eyes all widened except for Sam's who just smiled.

Saying it out loud and confirming that he was going to take the action to see if the blonde was his soul mate seemed to lift a weight that he hadn't realized was there from his shoulders and he couldn't help but let out a long breath. He closed his eyes and while he didn't want to get his hopes up since there was the very real possibility that she could be someone else's mate, his mind didn't seem to care as it started concurring images of their future together. His wolf, who was usually silent unless there was a bloodsucker nearby or something large had happened let out a happy yelp before once again laying down with a large smile on its face.

Opening his eyes again he realized that they were pulling into Sam's driveway and that he had been lost in his daydreams for far longer than he had thought. He could feel Embry and Paul's eyes on him, waiting expectantly and simply rolled his own before walking up the two small steps and into Emily's house, nerves assaulting him with every second that passed. Following the sounds of the two girls chatter he wasn't surprised to find them in the kitchen, pulling out the various utensils and pots and pans that they would need to make dinner for the night.

"Tell them." Emily urged, her voice was soft and she was trying to speak low enough that none of the boys would hear but it didn't work.

The blonde sighed before straightening her back and turning around to face the boys that were sitting around the table and purposely made eye contact with all of them before she turned to Jake, who sucked in a breath and waited for her blue-grey eyes to meet his dark brown ones. When she finally did Jake let out the air he'd sucked in, though he hadn't wanted to but it felt as if he'd just been punched in the gut with an iron fist. Watching her he could see that she had a similar reaction and her eyes widened, as did his at the fact that Sam had been right, though he'd never admit it to his Alpha, he was beyond happy that he had been.

He was vaguely aware of the rest of his pack mates entering the room and telling each other they wanted their money and made a mental note to smack them as soon as he snapped back to reality. Currently it wasn't possible as he sat frozen and all of his worries seemed to disappear and everything that made him, Jacob and kept him grounded to the world was ripped from where they were grounded and moved to the blonde in front of him. Nothing seemed to matter more than making sure that she was happy and that he be exactly what she needed to be, which he would no matter the cost, he'd make sure that she was happy and that he was exactly what she needed him to be.

Sucking in another breath the brief spell they seemed to be under lifted slightly and completely evaporated at her words.

"Was that a wolf thing?"

* * *

_So, there it is. I know I probably didn't do so great with the actual moment BUT this story is going to be focused more on the imprint aspect rather than the moment it happens. If that makes since. Also, besides Jake doing so, this chapter is also the big one for the other aspects as well. :) Hope you enjoyed, feel free to tell me what you think, the good, the bad and the ugly!_


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